A patient has an acute myocardial infarction. Her electrocardiogram is normal, except that her heart rate is 150 beats per minute. Her physician prescribes digoxin in both an initial "digitaliz-ing" dose and a daily maintenance dose so that:
1. a specific level of medication can be reached in the blood.
2. her heart rate first speeds up.
3. the drug begins to weaken her heart's contraction.
4. the drug will improve her appetite.
1
You should know about two different types of dosages for patients taking digoxin: the initial digitalizing dose and maintenance doses. More frequent and higher digitalizing doses are given when a patient begins taking digoxin so that a specific level of medication can be reached in the blood. Smaller maintenance doses are given once a day to maintain the blood level.
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A 20-year-old competitive swimmer was recently admitted to the CCU and diagnosed with myocarditis. The nurse is counseling the patient and her family regarding what this diagnosis means. What should the nurse mention? Select all that apply
A) Corticosteroids are effective in changing the clinical course of this disease. B) Immunosuppressive agents are effective in changing the clinical course of this disease. C) Some cases of myocarditis resolve without further sequelae. D) The patient will need to withdraw from training and competition for at least 6 months. E) The disease is potentially lethal and often has no cure. F) The disease may require heart transplantation.
When a client has an order for "daily weight," when should the nurse weigh the client?
a. after breakfast each morning b. at the same time each morning, on the same scale, wearing the same type of clothing c. at the staff's convenience between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. on the unit scales d. before bedtime each evening
The ability of an agent to produce a poisonous reaction is known as
1. Antigenicity 2. Invasiveness 3. Toxicity 4. Virulence
A 60-year-old woman is in the clinic for an annual well-woman examination. She has been taking alendronate (Fosamax) 10 mg daily for 4 years. Her last bone density test yielded a T-score of 2.0 . Her urine NTx level today is 22 . She walks daily
Her fracture risk is low. The primary care NP should recommend that she: a. take a 1- to 2-year drug holiday. b. change to 70 mg of alendronate weekly. c. decrease the alendronate dose to 5 mg daily. d. change to ibandronate (Boniva) 3 mg IV every 3 months.